Heretofore, certain products-- such as chemicals, food products, etc.--have been commercialized in large (55 gallon) metallic drums having an integral bead at the upper end; the gripping device, of a lift-type industrial truck, engaging such bead preparatory to lifting and transporting each such drum. In the trade there is now occurring a transition from metal drums to plastic drums, and as a consequence a problem is presented in that plastic drums either do not have an upper end bead for gripping, or the bead cannot withstand, without damage, engagement of the gripping device. The present invention was conceived in a successful effort to solve such problem.